


Notes for all of my Pokemon fics

by Kasan_Soulblade



Series: Cut and Run [5]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, a character study and story notes for "Guilty and Innocent" and "Two paths"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-09-29 22:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20443673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasan_Soulblade/pseuds/Kasan_Soulblade
Summary: SPOILERS APLENTYThis is my thought processes, scene ideas, and pokemon teams, for the stories of "Two paths" and "Guilty and the innocent".   Some related to past works, others to pending events that aren't on the main story, so if you read this before you finish either story there will be things spoiled.Present content 9/2/19every ones main pokemon team and basic relations to each otherStory arch (RD)essays/notesCOMPLETE nature of affection and attachment an Oak, Ash, Gio, and Delia compilation(pending) how people have changed over the timeline of both storiesCOMPLETE what I tried to do and avoid doing per trends of pokemon fanfic(pending) various scene ideasNear end story scene (possible sequel hook)...  SPOILERS





	1. Chapter 1

Notes for 2 paths to one end story

Plot points needing resolution or dropping  
  
Mewtwo and it's wereabouts (mentioned in guilty and innocence)  
the Ash Gio conflict of personalities  
Ash's charizard and it's lack of taming,  
Jessie james and meowth  
gary?  
fill in time between leagues  
Delia and Gio resolution  
  
Ashs team // favored moves tactics

Pikachu // all lightning based attacks, quick attack, agility swift  
squirtle // all water base attacks, tackle when must, uses withdraw when scared  
bulbasaur // vinewhip for mobility and attach, razor leaf for projectiles, tackle for casual battle, solar beam when overwhelmed last ditch atack (of present team bulbasuar is the most balanced battler and perhaps the most intelligent)  
muk // anything that will cause physical contact, sludge bomb when provoked  
pidgeot // mainly using as transport, flying, likes gust and up close is double edged and wing attack  
charizard // anything that causes burns, fly bys, projectile focus  
(this is ash's league team he usually switches charizard out though per reasons stated in "Two paths" story it's also his casual at home team when visiting palet)  
  
gary's team

eevee  
nidoqueen  
nidoking  
machop  
arcanine  
various plug in to fix type flaws at whatever gym he's at  
(Gary has caught over fifty Pokemon and switches them regularly, these are his "off team" and downtime companions)  
  
Prof. Oaks team

Not as a civilian and scientist Prof Oak does not usually have his battling Pokemon, But he does had a battler's license therefore allowing him to capture and carry many dangerous and powerful species. the 6 represented his "daily team"  
Raticate /// does physical labor resides in lab, "Rob"  
pidgy // "flit" messages and delivery  
tentecool// lives in water type pools trained to retreive and set various devices  
diglet // lives in earth resercem\, mainly wild but fond of Oak  
charmander // a left over from previous trainer lives with Oak as portable lamp per Leo  
porygon// "data" antivirus spyware, leaves in the preserves CPU systems  
  
History:  
Rob and Flit are ex trainer pokemon confiscated from their owners after investigation found them to be treated cruely. He keeps domesticated as pets. Rob was a TM enhanced battle trainer, Flit is the result of abandonment.  
Tentacool was a gift from the cerulean sisters after a project paper of his caused a surge of donations to benifit them and water conservationist efforts they'd been funding  
diglet "trouble" is a friendly wild diglet never captured he can be incited to come out with dusty berries whether he helps of trips a person up is a thing of whim though.  
Charmander is a starter mon from journeys ago that the trainer no showed on.  
Pre installed into oaks computer Polygon "data" is a sentient anti virus system and recently discovered when gary left his 'dex by the computer one visit ago. Before Oak thought the system was simply self updating.

  
Delia Katchem

  
As a non trainer per laws Delia can only own three pokemon. She owns one a Mr Mime but between knowing Gary, Leo, Tracy, and Sam and Ash she has access to any type she needs. Occasionally she'll take in one from Oak that he needs special one on one assistance or simply hosts one over as a friend of a friend" (Tracys scyther is a regular so much so some assume she owns him) due to her connections here is the list of pokemon she's most often seen with  
  
Pokemon/ownwer/misc

  
pikachu/ash/ views as extienon of the family both sides share this sentiment  
bulbasaur/ash/friendly, both bond over garden  
squitle/ash/frieldy familiar he dislikes his duties in her guarden though  
charizard/ash/ is honestly scared of charizard, he's apathetic towards her  
eevee/ gary/ is polite, secretly loves it's floofynesss  
nidoking/gary/ is polite has known it since a ninorino  
reserve pokemon/ prof oak/ dynamic ranges but assists regularly enough so most know of her and visa versea  
persian/ giovanni/ views as extension ofthe fmaily, mutual sentiments, tolerates nickname "persmookums"  
Nidoking/ giovanni/ friendly knew as nidoran and played with  
merril/ tracy/ friendly plays with/baby sits as needed for Tracy  
scyther/ tracy/ extension of the family, both adore garden work  
venonat/ tracy/ is polite does not like bug types though tries to hide it  
  
Giovanni's team

  
As a gym leader and Rocket Executive Gio has access and experience with a multitude of pokemon, specializing in ground type per the Leagues requisite to keep his license and his poison type specialty as a rocket, his personal team is more varied and hand picked more for favoritism of the creatures than actually balance and battling intent.  
  
name/moves special notes. relationship  
Persian/ all natural moves known, thunder, bubble beam, and toxic are preferred tms/ true companion original starter  
Golem/ All natural moves, fireblast, sysmeic toss, roar/ friendly one of Gios fist catches  
cloyster/ all natural, no extra tms/ nuetral towards gio, a gift from the cerulian sisters  
fearow/ all natural moves, hyper beam, double team, whirlwind/ friendly both share flight fascination  
Rhydon/ all natural moves, surf, thunder, fissure, body slam/ friendly late capture both are vicious and revel in it.  
  
As a gym leader all of his pokemon have been given tms and adjustments. As such his moveset is very varied even if the types are limited.

  
Per his relationship with oak he could catch and store more 'mon but his relationship with the police and terms of his containment make this illegal.  
Not that he'd care if a good opportunity came up.

  
Special note: all his pokemon are suspected of aiding in his criminal activities. DNA testing was never officially concluded at the time of his death.  
He does use Pokemon for crimes, Persian serves as a assassin, lock pick, lookout specialist. golem and nidoking serve in intimidation, break outs and ins, and brute force. Fearow has a rep for assault and assisted his trainer in evading arrest. Rhydon is a known assassin and trained in sabotage, interrogation, and has committed assault on an officer in defense of his trainer.


	2. affection and characters

Two paths essays/thought processes

  
friendship and bonds

The central themes of two paths is how the characters love, accept and give. This is one of the subtler issues addressed in that there are no overt conversations on the topic. The most obvious of his is the shows of compassion and affection between the characters as needed but no one sits down and lays their feelings out, either for another characters benefits or the audience

The twin bonds of affection explored are famiiliarl and friendship.

Each characters has difference experiences and expressions of it.

On the extreame side is Ash who makes friends with his 'mon and most he encounters. He's most familiar with friendship and is comfortable with it and really only experiences familial feeling with his mother. If he's confronted with anything that doesn't boil down to immediate family or friendship that he's familiar with he usually freindzones them and avoid complications by running away. Hence why many journeys later he's still as thick as a plank. His lack of experience with a complicated systems and even complicated emotions is fairly obvious and leaves him acting screamingly obvious to any and everyone attention (with sympathy to misty on this one).

Delia takes a different extreme, friendship is a hopeful prequel to eventual familial relations. Though not overtly stated she did not have a happy childhood and her parents were control freaks, cynics, and she built much of her adult identity eschewing those life styles. in short lifes a journey the relations part of the track, all of it's geared to better things. She workds on a scale, friendly to friends, to familial, and cheerily likes to work people up on the scale. Shes baffled and not too horribly understanding of those like gary who are content with the most superficial bonds.

Oak and Giovanni

On the most superficial levels Oak's philosophy align to Delias but firm use working bridge between Delia and Ash's thought process. Part of this is that Oak has a similar sliding scale ad Delia, a much more complicated one, but the categories of relationship and acknowledgement of effort needed to adjust is there. Unlike Delia, other's actions can impact their standing, it's not just his efforts and reaching out that decide things. Like Ash he finds it easy to make friends and he eschews complicated relationships with overlap like Ash, not due to lack of family experience and integration experience but simply because he's estranged from his own. Unlike Ash (who is too inexperienced\d) or Delia (whose expectations and efforts can accidentally cause issues) he's open minded enough through life (see Leo) and simple learning to accept people as they are. He lives wit few family many friends and is content more with his work than social networking.  
  
Giovanni is the farthest extreme and the most messed up per his past (detailed in Guilty) he vocally denies any form of affection. Family he's killed and friends he's betrayed and any who dare say otherwise or point out the extenuating circumstances behind those actions aren't safe from his mechanisms as he then subconsciously sets up ways to then betray or assassinate the "delusional" weak link and prove his life view is accurate.

His sole exceptions probably are just his present team and Oak.

For these exceptions he lavishes attention affect as warmly as his training and circumstances allow. He makes study and mirror what others want even sacrificing his own comfort to accommodate a preference. If there's a line too far for him to consider crossing he will simply set his efforts to their survival and longevity of their plans and pour his assets into both (a sizable chunk of leo's previous rocket activities went towards warding off gov investigation into Sam and in controlling the ranch via outsides pressures as much as possible). After all he's just preserving a "valuable emotional asset" and others have gone mad without them, he's simply preserving them for business. Per his past he does not consider any his family, only friends. Any who'd dare to approach him on that level would do so at their own risk as he's prone to tying up loose ends. Like Oak he's tolerant of many of the bonds people make, but his biggest deviation is that until people prove either use of value they are tools at best and amusement at worst.


	3. Alignment explaination and samples

notes and drabbles character studies

  
alignment

If dnd 3rd edition were being used

(Special note for those unfamiliar with alignment,

it's a basic personality short cut that breaks people and their actions into a scale of chaos vs law and evil vs good with the acknowledgement of the middle ground being neutral. In Dnd theory most people start neutral and it takes serious character (or trauma) to slide into either the good or evil categories.

Good usual equates to altruism and being willing and able to express such, neutrality is reserved for those who are self serving but have limits, where evil fills in the rest of the extreme self serving crowds whims and also harbors the sadistic and other antisocial inclined individuals.

Chaos and lawful indicate how one views outside forces. Lawful being those who understand, respect and are willing to use an outside system/ governing body/ set of laws ordained by an outside authority to tend to their means. Those who'd trust institutes and use them, say call the police in an emergency, respect those elected in office and the systems that set them in place and what not. Chaos usually is equated with impatience with such systems, ranged impatiences to disdain to wanting to destroy said systemsjust because. 

Also people of one alignment do not have to be surrounded by those of the same. Though obviously there are frictions when the aligmnent gap is serious enough -see Oak and Gio for examples of that- being lawful good or having an ally as such does not equate that everyone around that person adheres to the same belief system. this is shown in the teams section below if examples are needed.)

Giovanni from youth to adolescence would be chaotic evil, naturally sadistic few controls, destructive, and actively criminal. He "behaves" for those he likes miming good behaviors for the pleasure of fooling others or punishment avoidnce. Hints of his true self slip out (Guiltys chapter 12 for example and a recurring theme in the Delia flash backs) as well as hints of inner conflict as he knows he's "wrong" and occasionally tries to curb his impulses.

By adulthood Giovanni has settled comfortably into the nuetral evil lands. At peace with his sadistic streak which he balances with occasional benevolence. He simply is himself and doesn't berate himself for what he is. Those few moral lines drawn by Oak (and taken up due to fond exasperation with the man) and by him first hand experiencing certain hardships do not adhere to common laws or are whims to be picked up and dropped (these two facts disqualify him from the lawful bent and break him away from the chaotic slant the was before.)

(Special note for "dodging" verse Giovanni. If immersed in a continual environment where affection and support is offered he could break further from his evil habits becoming more geared towards true neutral than evil, but such would take extraordinary efforts and circumstances)

Oak from childhood to young adult hood was a picture of protocal, punctuality, precision and he had a slavish respect for his elders in the field and out of it. Conflicting with his lawful neutral outside was impulse, unlike Gio who wrestled with sadism he wrestled with an onrushing of kindness that had few limits and could get himself into a great deal of trouble if not curtailed. As he grew older he saw less and less need to not indulge those nice impulses whether they detracted from his work or lowered his standing professionally form his peers and cause him financial hardship. Indulging a midlife crisis early he went on a pokemon journey much to their displeasure of family and colleges and it was while traveling and researching that he lost the remaining stubbornness about him holding back and set his main goal in life to helping others.

(Special note for "dodging" verse Oak, as he hasn't gone through quite as much trauma as "guilty" verse he's more good than his present counterpart in "Two paths" and is more reckless as he has had Giovanni overtly fund and support him rather than break off that tie due to said trauma picked up in "guilty". As such he's very deep in his reckless good faze without friction with authorities this puts him in the lawful good slot for the time being.)

  
Oak as an adult and post journey waffled between chaotic good and lawful good, scorning but understanding why policies are in place. It was mainly Leo's corrupting influence that wore down the last of Oak's lawful mannerisms and while he requests a certain amount of respect he does not demand it (see interactions with gary and ash respectively for examples). He was locked into chaotic good by age thirty and in later years and experiences his alignment might side into a more neutral stance if his frictions with the police and law continue to go as they have(see abuses in power in last few chapters of Guilty for examples). He would not lose his innate helping tendencies but by putting limits on who he'd help it would lose it's good slant and slide into a more self serving neutral territory.

Misc alignment notes (might be expanded later)

Ashs pikachu is neutral good ash is lawful good

Delia's mr. mime is lawful good, Delia is neutral good

Tracy's scyther is lawful neutral, Tracy is lawful good

Giovanni's persian is nuetral evil, Giovanni is neutral evil  
  
Ash's pokemon range the good spectrum, exception is charizard who is chaotic neutral (self serving is his domineering trait, that and impulsivity, not cruelty hence he's not evil) as is Ash's snorlax

  
Giovanni's pokemon range the evil and neutral spectrum, exceptions are his cloyster who is lawful good and who as each day passes really wants to trade it out for something of more use and practicality.


	4. Chapter 4

On Ash and Giovanni  
  
Some of the overt ideas I waned to pursue in "two paths" was a satisfactory counter to the "what if Gio was Ash's father" prompt.

  
So many either use the revelation as a dark -rocket-Ash piece or a means to deny Ash's father any redeeming traits or characterization, that or Ash just goes into denial and books it. if either of those don't happen well there's rarely any closure in the subject, another popular route is to have Gio die (usually from cancer) and occasionally ash passes on, therefore denying closure all over again with a cheap death cop-out.

  
I wanted to try something different. Keeping Gio alive was the hardest thus far as he's apathetically clinging to life, only Oak's efforts are warding off full blown suicidal depression at this point (thanks Delia and Raphael and well criminal life..) Having an Ash Gio clash wasn't hard. Therefore interaction. The personality clash and moral clash were at full tilt even before Gio learns Ash's circumstances and it's more their conflict than the fact that Ash might be his kid that is driving another wedge between Gio and death all accidental. Gio is not a sentimental man and most of his warm fuzzies went towards Oak and never expanded past that point. (thinking about it Delia only got a tiny tiny fraction of the man's attention and affection that thought makes some of their chapters together a bit creepier on hindsight) The fact that Ash has his badge is going to be another spike for his ire and another reason to linger about in his mind.

Spite is Gio's main motivation at this point, and while Ash is canon compliant personality wise (if only a hair smarter) is about as far from spite as you can get it makes an interesting continual friction between the two of them that breaks from the norm of a lot of father son fics and a lot of Gio Ash fics floating about.

Another set of plots I wanted to avoid are the classics

a disband team rocket per defeat (per games)

b Ash be defeated and join team rocket

c Gio's stance being "defeat me and inherit team rocket"

By having team rocket destroyed to Ash's kindness and mercy rather than a true victory was my means to break that all down. It dissolves the petty contest and inherit slant (and skips over the ash having to learn a new world moral code just to survive much less inherit) and gives a realistic break down of the criminal organization (mass murder via Gio's hands) that the games obviously couldn't touch and keep their ranking.

Other plot points I wanted to express were how can two opposite personalities show affection.

Hot vs cold, passionate vs practical, obviously not towards each other as the two of them in the same room is a cat fight waiting to happen, but how it shows in those around them. The overlap of each persons social network and the interactions and conflicting perspectives of the same person from two different outsider perspectives was another layer.

Ash loves freely and with all he's got. If there is a trial he and those about him meet it, together. He innately recognizes each persons ambitions as theirs, and respects and savors the differences and that's part of his friendships with them and them with him.

Leo on the other hands is at best grudgingly affectionate and such is a trial. If someone can put up with the sheer amount of defense mechanism and reticence which is Leo trying to acknowledge he _might_ like them the rewards are usually fiscal and backhanded at best. unless he decides to break off with training and upbringing at which point expect that red r uniform in the mail and a cushy position with a nice paycheck. Those who decline if they aren't killed are let go, seemingly, but he's always there in the background pulling strings and pushing things about to ease matters for these "fringe acquaintances" in short Gio is a utter control freak and his criminal connections allow him a lot more levers than a legit businessman should have.

In the ""Cut" verse its a running gag more than anything else leos controlling tenancies are dusted off and argued about between Sam and Leo. Each have leverage and occasionally wave it about but in the end it means nothing because Gio has Oak exactly where he wants him. Safe, secure and accessible.

(This actually might become a contention point as Delia is smart enough to dig about oaks business and might find the connection, Sam's "eh its fine" wouldn't go well by her and that would cause more conflict than Oak discovering it on his own.)

(this might actually play into a squeal where Oak is legitimately incapacitated and trigger a tug of war between Gio and Delia)


	5. Chapter 5

Notes and story bits for the near end of Two Paths, spoilers obviously.

As Ash is very young in his victory he could endlessly wander, collecting badges, doing as hi's done before. But the journey is starting to wear. Gary's thinking about taking over Viridian's gym, assisting with his grand father's research occasionally, and the idea of settling causes a crisis.

Ash is aloof towards Gio, Oak and his mother seem closer and rather busy, and his friends (Brock/Misty/Tracy) have settled. The idea of starting a new journey alone doesn't sit well and he goes to Gio to vent because he's the only one available.

(story main antagonist has insinuated Gio is Ash's father, Delia denies it and Gio seems apathetic)

After an argument, fueled by the fact that Leo was napping "pre Ash arrival" Gio snarls something like "We aren't friends boy" Ash tried to call him out on that. They're family. Leo storms off. Childishly Ash takes Persian outside, stealing him like a rocket would. He vents his fears and concerns at the normal type who indicates he's listening with theoccasional murr and nuzzle.

At the end of it Leo revels he's been there for "some of it" and mocks him for a lousy get away plans, then as am after thouught notes that his plans in general are equally deplorable.

"'M not going good at strategy." Clearly Ash had been crying.

"Spontaneous luck, and electric attacks." Sigh. "It's a miracle you managed sixteenth."

"Yeah," Shakily. "I guess."

Silence, Leo considers.

  
"All I heard was what "they" want. Others. Oak needs more pokemon, so you travel to get them. Delia expects you to be a trainer like.. Will.. so you strive to be the best at that. Gary wants to build a gym, so of course..."

Ash annoyed, "It's not like that!"

Gio hum. "It's lunch time I believe."

He goes inside, tentatively Ash follows. Gloomy home, kept dark, stumbling towards a kitchen, well lit but dark hues, grey like grit, black highlights, steel for every applience. Inside Leos' making sandwich, one for self, considers Ash and when boy doesn't run off he makes one fo him. Fillls Persians' bowl, sits down.

(noting Ash hesitant to eat) "If you don't like it make something else."

Ash guiltily polished off meal.

"It was..."

"Indifferent. I know. Spare me your hollow kindness, the fridge's bare and I hate shopping."

Gio eats, Ash after a while gets both some water.

"Mom said Will wasn't-"

"Silence!" standing suddenly Gio's fist hits table jarring Ash making him flinch back. Eyes closed, Gio sinks into chair, Ash's cringe noticed. Breathing exercise. "Will is irrelevant." Softer less venom. "I won't take his happiness, Oaks' happiness, as for Delia.. I don't care. She's not the woman who left me and that's final."

Quiet, charged, Ash stands, starts to leave.

"This isn't a story, I can't be what Will was for her, and I won't try to do so for you. I won't apologize for what I am and am not. There's no happily ever after in this."

"If I.. asked.."

"No blood sample no genetic match up is going to change anything going on here. I don't love her," gently. "Perhaps I never did."

Gio nudges past Ash to sink, Ash wanders off while Gio busies with domestics. Dishes, cleaning mess, putting things away. Door out does not open and close. Persian drifts out into living room to find Ash sprawled on the couch.

Gio soundlessly walks in. "Shouldn't you be outside doing kid things?"

Persian bounces on couch hunting cuddles. Leo sits,leather chair, by small table, radio, instrumental jazz plays, Persian purrs.

"Did you.. ever wonder about me?"

" I killed the Magma cell responsible for your mother's death and the Rocket executive responsible for your mother's well being with my own two hands." thoughtful, a hum. "I wasn't particular quick about it and the cover stories I had to concoct for my three weeks absence was almost as messy as the murders." Ash turns from couch back to consider Gio who is smiling like a Persian with the cream. "the police almost caught me on that one. almost."

"Arceus."

Seeing Ash's horror Leo's features smooth to a no tell blank. A commercial kicks in Leo rotates dial, Persian hisses at some pop star yowling some pointless love song, then another classical station found. old music fills the silences.

"I spoke to... kinda told about...anyway they got back to me about..." The not having a name to even start a story was difficult, Ash learned fumbling baddly. 

"I gave permission for your little group of friends to know, you can drop a name if you wish." Gio amused.

"Brock." The answering scornful noise was met with a glare. "He said that we'd both have to try if... well if this was going to work."

Silence and music, Leo taps his fingers against armrest. Finally. "And what would he know about... trying?"

"Lots." Ash sighed. "More then both of us."

"That would explain why Brock's father Flint called me. The boy didn't compromise my security too much when he dialed and passed the phone over, Flints short sighted in more than one way after all. Still I'm hesitant to take advise from a self proclaimed "good for nothing washout trainer who left his brood to fail at the league". His home coming I'm told was.." Gio's lips quirk at the thought of someone else's discomfort. "rocky."

Ash groaned. "I swear you and Oak.."

A click the radio is turned off.

"I spent weeks wondering. What I could say, what you would say. Silent what if games and half fumbled scripts as I weighted what I should do and honestly if I should even do anything at all."

"Did you even want me?"

"The idea of a child was something I wanted almost more than my fortune. That's not an idle palce to be nor low on my personal wieghts and balances. I also considered plans of stepping down from Team Rocket to raise our child when it came. My... distance during the last few months of my relationships with your mother was me acting on those plans."

Silence, in it Persian nudged up against Ash wanting pets. Smiling, smally Ash hummed. "Did I know him.. back then?"

"You weren't born yet when you first met, but Persian did lay a lot on Delia right before our split... I should have suspected something then I suppose.. he was extraordinarily protective in the end and particularity devastated when things.. went as they went."

Gio remembers claws, paws twisting counter clock wise into a rocket grunt who'd been on evening watch, the last watch she had been seen alive on. He'd been so careful with those claws, scraping up epidermis then muscle then bone, one slow winding stroke at a time. I'd made questioning peculiar, once the grunt's legs and arms had been broken and the body left splayed Persian had circled, claws from one fore paws trailing deeper and deeper lines in a spiral as he walked around and around his prone victim. Until there'd been nothing save beating organs and splayed ribs in the center, because Persian hated when his claws got caught on things and had acted accordingly.

He'd left those be at until his master had been done with civil, then things had gotten significantly messier. 

"Oh." Petting continued, much to Persian's pleasure, one paw slung over the boy's shoulder drawing him over for a quick groom on his head. Laughing the boy batted the paw aside ignoring how the claws quivered just a bit before they were sheathed. "What would you do, if you were me?"

"I'm not you." Gio smirked, amused at contrast between then and now. "So I can't really answer that one."

"You're a real jerk sometimes, you know that?"

A huff, almost laugh. "I believe all of Kanto's police force would use much harsher language than that. But the sentiment isn't a new one to be directed at me.

"C'mon Leo, please."

Silence, startled, Gio's eyebrows raise in shock before he retreats into a somewhat strained poker face. The smirk adding a making slant to the lot.

"The worlds not ending boy, even if you think yours is due to this... personal quagmire you're involved in. You've things to do though, choices to make, and in all honestly the choices I made for myself left me here, I'd consider that before asking my council."

Considering something, a step too slow for impulse Ash finally asked one question, his last. "How did you make your chioce?"

"This choice?" Leo clarified.

A nod for an answer and a contemplative silence stretched between them, finally breaking facade of indifference and stillness Leo twiddled with the cuff of his sleeve.  
"I considered, what would I regret more." he addressed metal bit, eyes not flicking up. "Staying as I was I weighed that against what i would gain if I left... And I decided for the choice with minimal loss." Metal unclasped he pulled on a drawer, slipped it within, then pulled at the other one. "Most choices are opportunity loss really, simply consider what you might not have had if you don't do or do something then go with the option that's most appealing."

"In short." Work done both metal bits stored away with a quiet click. "I would structure your solution about what you would gain the most from. Would you gain more perusing the road, traveling and competing as you have, or is what you have enough to build up and settle as so many of your... peers have?"

Ash opened his mouth as if to answer but the sour look Leo cast his way stilled the knee jerk reaction.

"I would also recommend thinking about it carefully. Elsewhere preferably. I've training to do, so if you'd kindly release my Persian I'd like to get to it."  
Having unconsciously snuggled the normal type Ash sheepishly let go. Persian flicked his ears back casting Gio a toxic worthy look. Amused the ex-rocket shrugged off outer vest, laying it on chair's back, standing. Ash stood once he was done, both walking towards out.

"What's so unpalatable about his new Galar league that you don't run head long into it like you've done all the others?"

"The new rule, they make you go with a new team, fresh starter from the regions professor and you can't bring any of your old that'd mean leaving pikachu and... well that's not an option." Ash ducks under Leo's arm past open door, Leo closes it behind him not bothering with lock. Gio whistles shrilly, Nidoking pokes snout around corner, clearly had been at back of house, seeing owners look of irritation comes forwards sheepishly. "Also, you think Jhoto's gotten bad Galar supposedly televise everything, all the gym matches and... It's like some sporting thing, like that stupid tv show mom likes, the island one, where they vote on stupid things and kick people out. I've heard of trainers getting banned for having "ugly" pokemon..."

"the travesty." Leo rolls his eyes. "Not being favored for not having a pretty face."

Nidoking grumbles, ear twitching tail slashing, his grimace scrunching his scars grotesquely.

"Everything isn't about you. You weren't even the point of that comment." Gio groused, "Today's training involves projectiles, I've set up the targets in the back, get in position

I'll be by shortly."

Ash raises eyebrow just now noticing gun and holster on Leo's belt. Over coat had hidden it and Leo's posture on chair and room darkness had obscured it a bit.

"You normally shoot around your pokemon." Dryly, not a question that.

"They've yet to beat my scores, I'd like to keep it that way. One last bit of advice, whatever you decide, don't waste your breath justifying it when it meets inevitable resistance. You've spent a lot of your life living to others expectations from what I gathered. Suddenly _not_ doing that will raise some hackles." lips quirked into an amused smile. "you should have heard the uproar your grandparents made when S- Delia went against their wishes. They complained about it even as they died."

"how.. wha.." Ash considered Leo's expression then decided a more tactful path for once. "Mom doesn't talk about them a lot. Except they died."

"They were unpleasant people and didn't warrant more breath than that. I only met them in the end a few days before they died, we... talked once about your mother then nothing else needed to be said."

Cleaning Persians claws of accumulated gore after that talk had been a nightmare, speaking of nightmares an impatient "Merow" summoned him. Rather being there than here Leo got to walking without a backwards glance. For a moment Ash watched him leave... then after a moment decided at least one thing for the day and he went back home.


	6. Scene bits and pieces part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snippits and scenes that might be used, timelines a bit fluid and ranges from beginning to end of the fic this is for.

Scene bits and pieces part one

Two paths scene idea 1

  
Tracy and Gio interaction notes?

  
The elder boy indulged an infantile streak that grated and was less benign than his younger peers part. Tip toeing was the first sign, and to be honest that symptom was so childish (and professionally irritating to the ex thief) that Giovanni didn’t care to see other’s develop. Everywhere Persian went the lanky boy Tracy followed and unfortunately Persian was rather owner centric. The aloof cat type stereotype was more rumor than truth and thus all by accident Giovanni developed something of an inept stalker.

Pointedly ignoring the boy –a futile effort because with so much racket the boy kicked up it'd drive the child to stupider things, like inquiring about his health and interacting... obviously wasn't working. And the boy's skills in stealth were if all possibly decreasing, so it was with a low growl that he set up a few plans.

He'd talk to Sam first, because he was a guest, but if that failed or the boy was too thick to get the hint of a formal reprimand... Well Rhydon had dealt with the paparazzi before. He could do so with this fledgling snoop and this bought of stupidity would be done and over with.  
  
Two paths scene idea 2

  
Ash Gio tensions

Clearly the boy needed something to occupy his time. The revelation came quick, hard, and multiple times, like a fist against the back of the head by an inexperienced bludgeon-er. He’d reached this conclusion on the boy’s third visit in one week, shared his insight, and had been ignored by all around. Sam was a simple man despite his education, he delighted in guests and their Pokemon, content as the proverbial Persian in the Fearow’s nest. The aging man encouraged frequent visitors to come by time and time again.

  
Sam was unique that way. Aggravating as well. But friends did not dwell too much on the flaws of their friends unless they wanted enemies.

Still, encouragement aside, the boy was over far too much for far too long.

“Why not just install a cot by the refrigerator no less.” Leo snarled, black eyes scornful as he watched the boy’s retreating back. Having discovered Guena's brat over _again_ he’d prudently held back approaching until the child was gone.

  
It had been a long three hours and at waits end he was thoroughly exasperated by the inanity of it all.

“Because I’d be buying refrigerators every morning instead of once every Rocket attack.” Ticking one finger up at sentences end Samuel used each digit as a punctuation point. “Delia wouldn’t want to share.” Second finger joined the first. “Between Ash and Tracy’s talk, battles, and rowdiness I’d never sleep.” The third and fourth rose and it was the last that was most telling. “Pikachu.”

  
Despite himself Leo laughed.

“I could have dealt with that years ago had you let me barrow a hammer.” The Rocket reminded his white clad friend.

“I seriously doubt it would have been neat.” The professor grinned.

With a sniff Leo turned heading back to the lab, Samuel trailing dutifully behind. Still, the distance wasn’t far enough nor Leo’s voice soft enough to muffle the ex-Rocket Boss’s grumbled. “More than experience enough to keep… blood splatter… off of…”

Luckily, Sam considered Leo a friend, and was a devout believer in letting certain friction passed without being spoken on on.

Scene idea 3

Tracy observations

“It’s like the labs haunted.” Tracy noted, nodding his head to one of the few traces Giovanni’s visits left. Chess pieces stood in neat rows a mute testament to the score, black then white remained in the rows their pieces were still deployed and the final moves of Leo’s faltering defense lingered upon the board. Picking off the slew of pawns off the board and depositing them into their box Samuel said nothing, content in silence. Chewing on his lip Tracy considered his statement, a pencil idly tapping against the air. A sheepish smile curled the artists’ lips as he considered his own learning, papers wood stains eraser curls. “I guess we all are.”

  
“Ghosts of our own homes.” Samuel chuckled. “I suppose we are.”

Watching Samuel clear the pieces away Tracy’s eyes went dark with thought. Perhaps his mind was making notes about highlighting and lines that was pivotal to his drawings. The frown line between the young man’s brows hinted otherwise. 

“Something wrong Tracy?”

“It’s… umm ,” the professors’ steely look made the young man quickly abandon the “nothing” that he’d been about to say. “Kinda.. well… dumb…”

“And from the adverted eyes, blush, and tracing your fingers during on my arm rest I’d wager the subject is Leo.”

With a quiet laugh Tracy shook his head, eyes wide and amazed.

“How do you figure it out just like that?” He marveled. Nervous fingers snapping at the word ”That” and giving it a pop of emphasis.  
Smoothing the front of his white lab coat Samuel let the boy’s attention linger on the garment, then with a sigh the professor wracked his fingers through his greying locks.

“Let’s say it comes with the territory.”

Decision reached the Professor pulled pieces from the box, set them on the board on their proper order.

“Take a seat Tracy.” Sam indicated the chair recently vacated by Leo with a nod. “Best two out of three wins.”

“Alright…”


	7. Scene bits and pieces part two

Scenes and snippits part 2

Scene idea 4

Knife in hand he considered the problem, with a professional twist of the wrist he left a sizable slash in the plastic and dug his fingers into the incision, a few minutes later and he was rewarded with a fistful of dry pellet innards for his efforts. Prize reached he dropped his gains in the awaiting bowl. The owner of said bowl crowded close and set hard white fangs to work in scooping up the tidbits before the bowl got to the floor. It was their usual dance, a small wrestle off of counter, him wrenching his arm far and back and in response the white feline darted from countertop to floor with a thud. Soon the normal type was curled about his legs, rearing and muring as if he were starving never mind it was mere minutes after noon and that made him technically early for this spat of shenanigans.

Finally done and the bowl down Leo staggered away leggings smeared with white hair. Somewhat secure that Persian wasn't going to try to hip check him and knock him over the ex-rocket rolled the thin metallic grip of the switchblade in hand. Leo set pressure on a circular span at the cross bar and with a soft click the blade withdrew.

Pocketing the switch blade the ex-Boss swiped at leggings and inevitably reared it's head. He was going to have to hunt down a lint roller. Persian who hated the things was getting very creative in hiding them so it'd be more a trial than he'd care to admit. The water bowl did not summon a repeat performance, so that at least he was able to replace without any harassment.

  
“You know I used to kill people with that knife.”

Unmoved Persian set about crunching through his meal.

Scene idea 5

  
(Mewtwo idea)

  
Sleep.

So commanded he did. The peculiarity of psychics though was that even when at rest his mind was not idle and his dreams less so. Lost to the world, without weight or sensation he drowsed. About him, around him, through the miasma of slumber hummed a soundless ditty. A thing of dry percussion, timeless, toneless, it’s notes were leaden blocks it's pitch the grinding of gears.

Such was his lullaby.

He dreamed of color as others saw it but without comprehending eyes. A world of blotchy hues that shone through the silhouettes of black, around and about there was a flapping of white it's paces emotions that were color and a sensation that was both acidic and made the back of his throat ache. The colors and taste steps came and went, brushing the edges of dreams leaving neither the impact to inspire fancy or birth nightmares. In the time before birth he hanged, suspended and warm, hovering between the time precluding thought and instinct. Neither bored nor content, he exists beyond consciousness. Filled till full of listening to mechanical song and phantom hues before sight, he slides from deep sleep to lightest drowse.

Irritation is the jag. the spine that pokes his psyche and drive him to grasp something of time. It is the first flaw between the before and now. A fire without burning, a span that seeks relief to pressures that weren't his but were not unfelt. Eagerly he reaches that subtle agony, aches to move to seek relief, and to that thought an action aborted. Because he is hung without trial or punishment he is bound... The song precluding thought changes tenure and pitch, and it is first thought that is of irritation. His own now, not some echo beyond where sight lies, it is irritation that he's feeling, and then simple as that he is aware of so very little and so much.

  
It's little wonder then, how he develops. When frustration is his first thought and spreads like wildfire, staining his further thoughts towards darker patterns making darker paths easier to access.

From a world away he hears a voice, not towards him, they'll never speak towards him, but still it's words register and are understood in further remembering.

"Um... Doctor.. it's amygdala it really lit up here, is that bad?"

  
  
Two paths chapter idea scene 6

  
Cat maintenance

  
Stiff legged, tail curled at the tip but otherwise held high, triangular head tilted up, eyes all but lost in a squint of pure pleasure. Humming with the force of his purrs Persain leaned into each stroke of the brush. Ignoring the steady pile of shed fur gathering in his lap Giovanni continued his work in silence. Only when the last kink came out of the feline's fur did he set the brush aside. 

With a quiet Mew” Persian protested the move, reaching out to bring the brush back.

  
Which was part of a ploy, a familiar one that had the man weighing felines bliss against his memory and when sensation trumped reason he pulled pleasure away. Thus the opening, Giovanni snatched opportunity and the paw in the same move. Soundlessly black claws slipped out a little at a time, and it was only when the ex-Rocket saw the pink of the claws base that he eased the pressure. “Rowr”ing with a pathetic tone the feline twisted and tugged vainly trying to wrench free. Despite protest and effort out came the nail clippers, ears slicked back, fangs bared, the normal type dared a Growl of protest.

  
Ignoring all of it, as he had so often in the past, Leo Giovanni set steel against claw. The soft click of the clippers at work was lost under Persian's screams of protest and rage.  
  
  
Two paths scene idea 7

  
Gio delia scene (flashback)?

She folded. His kisses were sharp, forceful, and her gentle ways made her submit without a protest.

  
“I missed you my love.” (translate to ittalian use google translate)

“I’ve missed you too.” (ditto)

While not perfect her Italian wasn’t too bad, he grinned, enfolded her in his arms.

“Your accent…”

His complaint was lost under a kiss whose technique she’d stolen from his book. As reward he decided not to finish what he'd been planing to say.

Two paths scene idea 8

Gio Tracy interaction?

  
“Oak's out now.” Tracy smiled while he said it, only the boy’s pallor alluding to his fear at that moment. “He’s shopping.”

  
To that the Rocket blinked his face was a thing of length, angles, and had a habitual stillness that left neither furrow mark across his brows or smile lines around the corners of his lips made him a creepily blank slate in the artists mind. Still holding to that creepy “I show no emotion” placidity the Rocket accepted the news without comment.

“Did … did you want to come…”

“No.”

Turning on his heel the orange clad man retracted his steps, clearly content to head back the several miles he’d just walked without taking a break, or a glass of water, or anything. Shaking his head Tracy quietly closed the door, checking the impulse to slam it and run up to his bedroom and hide under the bed. Once the lock was tuned –a pale comfort considering the man on the other end could casually pick the lock- and set he sighed. In the following silence he decided that even if Giovanni didn’t need a drink Tracy did.  


"God I hope the Professor finds his cell phone soon, it's the third time this week, this is getting ridiculous."

Outside and spitting off a few words in a language few people in Jhoto or Kanto knew, it could be said that the boss of team rocket was sharing a similar sentiment as well. Save with more profanities and a heaping dose of personal venom as an aside.  
  
Two paths scene idea 9

Persian Pika nap?

  
Curled on a particularly flat and warm rock Persian purred, eyes scrunched shut, tail extended and tip a curl. His fore paws were folded, his hind limp and spread askew. 

Perhaps it was the angle of the whiskers the tilt of his angular head, or the ridiculous pose But a smile seemed to curl the normal types lips. 

Having gone through many positions, from classic tuck and curl, to sprawl of similar proportions, the Persian's companion was finding sun warmed rocks were still rocky. Warm, hot, and poked, the electric type pokemon was not enjoying the pun. Twisting, turning, squirming, floping, such were the moves of his "across the rock" dance. Finally with an annoyed “Pika” the yellow creature bound off the rock and onto the grass. Green, warm, and _soft_, clearly the best option. With a happy “chu” to indicate his satisfaction the long eared creature chose the classic tuck and curl pose, setting his long tail in front of his eyes before drifting off.

  
  
Two paths scene idea 10

  
An “S” was the base, the familiar curves marred by jags and tufts. Still the base was there, he visualized it even as his mind caught the rest of the details. Wing cupped, but hunched in a jealous guard, legs braced, claws kneading. Grass and dirt crumpled like clenched sheets, the “tink” of pebble striking talon and rolling a muffled path along the outer edge of a black claw. Crooked beak parting in a soundless hiss red eyes that had been fixated on the still pool flicked. 

A reflection wavered, broken by the barest of ripples. In response to such a descent occured, it's velocity blurred details, lines and bird, jags and angles, all became a rush of brown. The reflection shattered into a red tinged froth.

  
With a triumphant screech the fearrow arched it’s head back, so that it’s beak was tilted to the sun. Rimmed by water, shrouded in sparkles of false gold cast by angle and light the Goldeen thrashed and twisted. It’s blue eyes were saphires, a purer richer blue than the skies.

  
In it's rise it thrashed, in desperation it’s gaze seeked, up, saving, rescure.

All it saw wasa blinding stretch of white, all along it replacing water was pressure and pain. Bones ground aginast beak, and the near invisible crimson streaks let loose in torrends around the binding beak's edges.

In torrents.

Thus gold was lost under the rush of red.

XXX

It’s all to easy to forget they’re wild animals.”

Samuel scrapped a few scales and flesh off a stone by the water preserve. Fury was a fussy eater, only liking to eat on stone. Perhaps it was an odd mimic of his owner who could not abide eating anything that hadn’t first been set on a plate. More liky though the habit was born out of a need to keep the meat away from the grass. Fearows were notorious carnivores and the slightest hint of greens in their digestive system could cause all sorts of disgusting symptoms. 

With a final scree steel skipped over the pits and crevices of Fury’s plate, catching the last of organic mater on the spade, a flick of his wrist and Oak tossed it into the waters where some savaging krabby would likely eat it up.

An “mm” and the scratch of pen on paper was Tracy only response to his mentors somewhat outre comment.

  
To the companionable silence Oak chuckled, dumped the spade into it's appropriate place in the wheelbarrow, and work done for now found a place to sit by the pool. Of course, had he asked, Tracy would have dutifully reported it to be about noon. Still, it was early somewhere, or so Oak consuled himself, a break wouldn't be a lazy thing, just a prudent one. Steel eyes glinting with amusement, the Professor began his other morning ritual.

  
“There’s an irate Charizard behind you.”

“Mm” Tracey's face furrowed into a frown, he began crossing some error only he noticed.

  
“Look a Moltress.”

“That’s not nice Professor…” With a series of quick swipes the artist continued the arcane seeming labor over what would become a picture.  
Looking past Tracy –the boy curled over his work was beyond familiar at this point- her perked up as the familiar orange clad figure approached. Professor Samuel Oak lifted a hand and waved.

“Hello Leo!”

The pencil stopped the boy’s eyes bulged almost beyond the capacity of his skull. With a squeak Tracy craned his head up from his work, confirmed his fears then glanced down at his wrist as if to check the time. Tracy didn’t own a watch, but that hardly stopped him from recalling the time. And realizing he needed to be somewhere else, at a run.

"Odd boy." Giovanni noted, not quite trying to hide his smirk as he watched the child hare off towards the fire type reserve.

"He thought he saw a moltress." Oak hummed. "They do get odder the younger they get, don't they?"

To that bit of nonsensical Leo raised an eyebrow. "As that wasn't pokepoetry I'm not going to complain, but keep spouting nonsense and I'll haul you to the doctors Sam. You're too old to be courting heat stroke without getting other adverse effects and while medicine had improved it's not perfect."

"I could offer pokepoetry if you were feeling in low supply." Sam offered with a sunny smile.

Leo's withering glare said plenty to that offer, the predominant being no, and never, and over my dead body.


End file.
